One dead after plane crashes in Malaysian Borneo

KUALA LUMPUR - One person died and five were injured when a passenger plane crashed into a house in eastern Malaysia's Sabah state on Thursday, Malaysia Airlines said.

But a woman and her 11-year old son who were in the house's living room at the time escaped unhurt when the aircraft hit the bedroom, dining hall and porch, the New Straits Times reported.

"Malaysia Airlines regretfully confirms that there has been one fatality," it said in a statement after the afternoon crash.

Newspapers reported that another two of the five injured were in critical condition. All 16 on board the plane were taken to hospital for checkups.

The airline said the cause of the incident was still under investigation and its chief executive was en route to Sabah to oversee the situation.

7pm update:

Sixteen people were taken to hospital for checks after a passenger plane crashed in eastern Malaysia on Thursday, the airline said, and media reports said three of them were seriously injured.

National carrier Malaysia Airlines said the Twin Otter propeller plane took off from Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state, but landed short of the runway in Kudat about 150 kilometres (94 miles) northeast.

"No reported fatalities as of now. Focus of the airline is on the rescue of passengers and crew," it said in a statement less than two hours after the afternoon crash.

All those aboard the plane were taken to Kudat Hospital for checkups.

Newspapers said six of them were injured, including three in critical condition.

The Star said the plane had crashed into the grounds of a house, but there were no immediate reports of casualties on the ground.

Authorities are still trying to ascertain the cause of the accident, state news agency Bernama reported.

Sabah is on the northeastern tip of Borneo, an island which has seen repeated plane and helicopter crashes.

A helicopter crash in July last year saw three passengers die while a Singaporean trainee pilot was killed in a plane crash a week later.

Plane crashes in Malaysian Borneo, 16 hospitalised

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(Photos: The Star)